Martha and the Chipmunks: Journey to the Dream Mansion
by MantaFlipper9
Summary: A lonely teenage girl makes three unlikely friends in a different world she is swept into almost each night. But everything in that world isn't all it seems.
1. Only the Beginning: The Park, Mansion an

_It it true? Do I only see what I want to see and believe what I want to believe?_

_Is it good, or is it bad?_

_Is it helpful or harmful?_

_Do I really harm the people I love?_

_Do I actually love them... or not?_

_Can I accept them?_

_Are they evil or good?_

_The things I think seem so wrong, but is there really no such thing?_

An apartment courtyard is being panned across from a walker's point of view. It focuses on parts of it like a stairway a tree and a pool. It stops on door number 11. The door opens and a girl with short pink hair steps out. She starts walking out to the front gate.

_Hi and welcome. I'm Martha. This is a map to the inner regions of my warped and twisted mind and subconscious. I have a very warped sense of reality. The telling of it has no other place than here. If you don't like that sort of thing, you can move along if you wish, if not, feel free to stay and follow along._

I open the front gate and walk out onto the sidewalk.

_Now that I've left my friends, I got alot of time on my hands._

I don't feel bad though, in fact, I feel pretty good. We grew apart and we were clearly no longer on the same page. All they did was make fun of me and hardly took _anything_ seriously. Even when they tried to help me, I always felt worse afterwards.

I cross the street, on my way to the miniature park a few blocks away.

_It's weird that I didn't notice it earlier, but, I wonder why I was friends with them in the first place._

I walk past some shops and an school that has recently been built, watch for cars and then cross a wide street to reach the park. I walk on the path to a bench and sit there, contemplating some more.

_I'm glad I'm not friends with them anymore, what was I thinking? How could I be so blind? But then again, my blindness is what makes people condescend me. Even my younger brother thinks I'm a child._

I get up and walk to the pond, looking into it and thinking.

_I might never get past this, but my mind is made up and it's for the best._

I watch the squirrels and the birds. I then walk around the park.

_They might not admit it, but I do mess things up quite alot._

The sun starts to set, and I start to head back. I sat calmly relaxed on the bench. After some minutes passed, I got up and got ready to head back.

I then spied a couple on a picnic bench. A man started getting slightly more intimate with the woman and I averted my sight of them and tried to walk on by, but then I hid behind a tree to watch them, curiously. After a few seconds, I quickly head on back home.

_Ok, it's no big deal._ I thought, _It wasn't my business, but I doubt they saw me even for a second._

I was greeted my my older sister.

"You're home late," she said.

"I was just taking a trip to the park," I said.

"You really aren't supposed to go anywhere without telling us and you should be home before the sun goes down," she said.

"Well, neither of you were home and I was lucky to get back before it went down completely," I told her.

"Lucky or not, you could have gotten hurt, killed or worse on these streets," she said.

This evening, I didn't want to bother arguing with her, like I usually did. I decided it was pointless right now.

_I'm not a child anymore. I'm practically an adult now._

I half-stomped towards the kitchen and picked up the broom and glide and swept the floor.

When bedtime rolled around, I tried not to think about what I saw at the park. I had trouble trying to get to sleep. I then think about what I saw at the park and felt myself blush. A warm wave washes over me as the moon shines in the window, I felt it illuminate me with a certain glow. With a pillow covering the top half of my face and my mouth slightly agape for a second, then closing. I breathe a bit heavily. A moment not too soon, I smile, then quietly I had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, I feel myself grabbed by the arms and legs and lifted up by what seems to be two men abducting me. I feel startled and try to struggle, but one of them pinches a pressure point that puts me back into a sleepful state.

Shortly, I regained slight consciousness when they are halfway to where they were taking me, but I still couldn't tell exactly where I was. I was finally let free and dropped to the floor and slid forward. I looks around the new location I was in, which looks to be an interior of a mansion.

I thought _Whoever owns this place must be really rich._

I rubbed my eyes and looked more at the decor, which I found quite fascinating.

A young woman with blonde hair in pigtails began to approach me.

"Hello! Like, I'm Laura!" She said. "Ooh, you are such a babe! Just kidding! Hahaha!"

I picked myself up off the floor "Uh, hello, I'm Martha. Do you know who owns this mansion?"

"Oh, that would be Martina Love." She said.

There were many guests in costume, many extravagant ones. Such as a woman wearing feathers.  
But I wasn't sure who Martina Love was.

I walked back into the hall, when something ran across the floor. Was it a mouse?

Maybe Martina's mansion wasn't that fancy after all. But it stopped and it looked like a chipmunk in a red hoodie.

"Hey, how's it going?" He asked me in a squeaky voice._ Did he_ _just speak to me?_ I was sure this was a dream.

"Not a talker, huh?" He said. He then crawled up my leg and up to my shoulder, "that's ok... let's just enjoy the moment..."

Another chipmunk came by, wearing a blue hoodie and glasses. "C'mon, Alvin, give it up," he said, also in a high voice lower than the previous chipmunk's, "she's too old, she's probably like 16."

"18 actually," I spoke up.

"Hey, you can talk!" The red-hoodied chipmunk Alvin piped up.

"So, you're legally an adult," said the bespectacled chipmunk "then you're way out of his league."

"Ah, what can I say, I'm a ladies' man," said Alvin.

"Um, guys," called another high pitched voice, higher than both of the two chipmunks. A chubby, short, blonde furred chipmunk with a green hoodie scampered over to us, "We better get going soon, or we'll be in trouble with Dave."

"Just a few more minutes, and we'll be back before he notices," said Alvin to the chubby chipmunk.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Called a voice over a loudspeaker system. "We present to you, Martina Love!"

Finally getting a chance to see who owns the mansion, I walked over to the main floor, where there was a crowd cheering in wait.

When I got through the crowd, I could see the figure of a woman in a modern designed kimono, covering her face with the fan, while slowly descending the stairs.

As soon as she reached the bottom, she folded her fan closed to reveal her face. "Welcome everyone! How kind of you to come here!" she declared.

_She looks familiar_, I thought.

A swing that was attached to a metal bar high above, probably controlled from a control panel, lowered down and she sat on it, then it was swung over the crowd, while they cheered for her.

I got lost a bit in the crowd, but I could see her swing above. She swung over a stage, and started to sing, a kind of song that seemed it would be a pop hit.

_Hey, baby, hey baby_

_Don't you look lonesome_

_Come on over here, I know that you want some_

_But you ain't gettin' any_

_You can look but you can't touch_

_Politely heed my request and  
_

_I will thank you very much_

She danced, with her kimono flowing with her movements.

_Everyone seems to adore her, and with as many people here, quite alot do._

Afterwards, Laura spoke to me again, as another song played over the speakers. "You've got to meet her. She says all her new guests need to speak to her face-to-face." I followed Laura and we approached Martina, who was speaking to some of her guests.

"Martina!" Laura chirped "There's a new girl here who wants to see you!"

Martina dismissed her conversation "I'll catch up with you later," and the two patrons  
walked away.

"Hi, Martina! This is Martha. She just dropped in," Laura said to the hostess.

"Martha," Martina said to me, actually looking at me, actually talking to me, "Martina Love, pleasure to meet you."

She shook my hand. I felt skittish about my handshakes, not being able to get them quite right, but she wasn't put off by it.

"Let's go find somewhere with less noise to talk," she said. We then went into the hall.

"I have a question," I said, "How come I was taken here? Because I didn't decide to come here on my own. These two guys in suits-"

"Oh, they're my servants. You must have not gotten the invitation, or maybe you've forgotten it,"

"I-invitation?"

"Yes. I keep track of my guest list, even if it's large, so I had them come get you. You couldn't afford to miss this gathering." She finally said, with a smile.

"I'm still in my pajamas..." I said quietly while looking down at them.

"It's alright," she assured me, yet looked playful, "many here are dressed in unusual styles, so nobody will notice."

Which was true, considering woman in the feathers I saw earlier. As I looked back out into the hall, I saw more people wearing costumes, including what appeared to be someone wearing a space suit with an oversized helmet.

"Now, let's get back out on the floor, the sun will be coming up soon!" Martina said, walking gracefully, fan over her face.

_The sun will be coming up soon._

And I have to get back home before my family knows I'm missing. Not sure if this was dream logic talking, as I was worried about whether I could find a way home, seeing as I am not sure what way I got here so I couldn't give anyone directions. After she had lost me, I went into the hallway and started opening doors.

The first door had a little girl with short dark hair tied up. _Oh, that poor child!_

I untied her and let her go on her way. "There you go," I said, and she took off running.

I opened another door, and found more kids, I untied them and they escaped as well, with some going out the windows (we were on the first floor, so nobody got hurt).

The last door had two of the chipmunks I saw, Simon and Theodore, but one of the was missing.

"Hurry!" Simon said "there's not much time!"

"Where's Alvin?" Theodore asked.

"Hey!" A man's voice yelled, I picked up the two chipmunks and ran for it. Martina was at the front door.

"And where do you think you're going?" She asked me, calmly and without a single sign of anger in her voice.

I hid the Chipmunks behind my back.

"Well, it was a nice party, but I have to head home now," I told her, trying desperately to hide the fact I was holding chipmunks and get out of there quickly, even if I wasn't exactly sure where home was.

"I understand," she said. "After all, that was some party. And before you go, I want to tell you that you can come back here whenever you want. If something seems wrong at your home, you can make this place your second home."

"R-really?" I said. I never expected someone who lived in a mansion to offer me such a thing.

"Absolutely," she said. She held the door open for me, as I stuffed the chipmunks under my shirt.

I walked out the door. "Don't you have a chauffeur or something to give me a ride?" I asked.

"I have it taken care of," she said. "See you soon," and with those last words in a sweet tone, a bright light flashed as I walked out and it seemed like I was instantly back home.

I awoke in my bed, and the chipmunks disappeared, as if I never held them to begin with.

_What a weird dream, and it seemed so real._

I got up, as it was time for me to go to school... ugh. I am pretty sure that I won't do well, since I am a last year student at the high school... for the second time. The first year, was turbulent and I ruined it for myself with such repeated outbursts.

But it was like my older sister said... _Every day, you just make a fuss like if you're some four or five-year-old._ I remember her voice saying, quite irritating and wasn't what I needed.

But I got up today, to see what was in store for me, as I look forward to seeing my only friend. Despite the fact that he's a staff member, he seems to get me the most, he says I am in an abusive relationship with my family, as I had another conversation about what was going on at my house. I doubted it, since I can admit I haven't been so pleasant myself, but being that he only knew me, and from the school, I knew he wouldn't think much of it.  
"I doubt it," I said. Knowing he wouldn't quite agree.

One other person my age seems to be kind of a geek, who is eager to be friends with me. But he seems to push being a couple... without us going on a single date.

_I hope someday maybe we'll get married!_ I specifically recall he said loud and clear.

No thank you. I can do better than just rush in like that, and I'm not going to be at this school for long.


	2. A Birthday to Remember

Well, it's finally my 18th birthday. It seems like it came so fast and I never got to enjoy being a kid. There's going to be many more responisibilities, and I'm afraid I won't be able to handle them.  
I worriedly stay behind from my own party in my mom's parked car in the parking lot. Turns out, I'm such a coward, that I couldn't even face my own birthday party.

Later in the night, after I had gone to sleep, I found myself in the mansion again, in the parlor.

"Like, hi!" It was Laura "You came back!"

"Yeah..." I confusedly looked around myself, confused and still a bit sleepy.  
"So, like, how are you?" She asked me.  
"Fine, I guess. It's my birthday... at least, a few hours ago it was."  
Laura smiled cheerfully "Happy Birthday! So, how old are you?"  
"18."  
Laura perks up at hearing this. "Like, ohmigod! Really! Alright!"  
I was kind of flustered by her strong reaction to this.  
"Like, Oh my Gosh! Now that you're 18, I can show you _all_ my favorite clothing stores! I have some really cool things I want to show you! They've got some really cute stuff there!" She said excitedly, running while dragging me along.

We went in Laura's car, and arrived at some shops. I tried on outfits. One outfit was a short black dress with long sleeves that exposed the shoulders, with a collar and red Mary Jane heels with stockings that had slits on the outside edges. The next one had cat ears with black thigh boots, with a sparkly short dress with puffed shoulders and a matching mask. The one after had a bustier, fishnet stockings, black sparkling pumps and rabbit ears and a tail.

"Martha! You look fabulous!"

"Really?"

"Totes!"

"Will we be able to cover all of this?"

"Sure! And Martina also recommends it, so she might be able to help with it!"  
Laura said excitedly.

"Also, Martina's like, throwing another party, so you should totes show up, maybe in one of your cute new outfits!"  
She also added.

"I'll think about it," I said. I wasn't sure if this was a dream, so I wasn't sure I could remember any of the new clothes I got, but at the same time, I thought I'd go anyway.

***

"Alvin's still in there," the chubby young chipmunk said to his bespectacled brother. "I was sure he escaped with us, unless he was captured again. It would be dangerous to go back and try and get him, even though we _should_."

"As much as I hate to admit it, that's true," said Simon.

"Well, she is having that party this week," Theodore pointed out "and maybe she'll be too distracted to notice if we snuck in. Unless we actually do get caught."

"So then we'd have to get past her guards and defense systems," Simon added.

"Since we have been there a few times, I have them all mapped out," he pointed to a chalkboard that was stored in the garage, where he had drawn the exit and entrance points, guard positions and said defense systems.

"I've been invited to that party, maybe I can help." I said.

"Sure." Theodore agrees.

"Alright." Simon said immediately after.

"You'll need a wrist communicator, which I will give you." Simon told me.

"And make sure you follow through with the plan."

"I will," I assured them "You can count on me!"

Once we were in, we took our posts. I was in the middle of the party, seeing as I was invited.

"Ok, everyone ready?" Simon said over the wrist communicator.

"Ready!" Theodore and I said in unison.

As soon as I was in the middle of the dance floor, I heard a high-pitched squeal and the sound of someone wearing heels approach me.

"Marthaaaaaa!" It was Laura "I'm like, SOOO glad you made it!" She shouted with excitement while slightly bouncing.

"Oh, hi, Laura," I said, a bit flustered, but I managed to smile.

"Like, come dance with us," she said.

"I don't know..." I began.

The other girls with her started giggling.

"Ok, maybe for a while,"

The song the DJ was playing then changed.

"Come on, like, let's go!" Laura said as she pulled me to the dance floor.

It actually was pretty fun. Some guys were giving me the eye. Laura and the other girls kept nudging me and trying to get me to dance with one.

"Like, go on, he's so into you," she said to me.

So I then started dancing, and I was so caught up in it, that I danced on a table and just started working it. I admit it was fun. But I felt as if my wristwatch communicator was vibrating lightly, but I couldn't hear it ringing over the music. Then, I caught Simon glaring at me from across the room from the hall. I started to feel guilty and got off of the small, round table.

"Ok, all set to go. Where's Martha?" Theodore asked.

"Forget her," said Simon, watching on from the hallway at the coral haired girl dancing on a table. "She'd rather blow us off."

I ran down the street from the party. Simon's biplane flies by me with Theodore and an angry Simon inside.

"You dirty little _liar_! " Simon hissed at me.

"We can't stop this plane, speed limit is in effect." Theodore reminded him.

"Did you have an awesome time? I think you did. " Simon gave me a sarcastic smile when he started speaking, but it quickly turned into a scowl.

"Hey, this was all your idea, I was just taken along because I was invited to the I was the only one who could get in without being suspected." I pointed out.

"Right," said Simon, as dryly as possible, "After all, it's not like you couldn't invite us so we wouldn't have to sneak in."

The nerve of the little guy...

"Ok," I said "so now you've just decided to pick on me for no reason. It's like talking to by family! In fact, you're just like them."

"That's just the thing..." Simon started up again " you accuse others of picking on you, because you can't handle it when someone's being honest with you!"

"There's a difference between being honest and being a bully." I told him.

"You're always saying 'they're so mean to me at home, they always bully me!' Instead of admitting what you did, you blame others for the problems you cause. Probably 'cause you're just scared you won't look as innocent as you think you are. You probably lie so much that you're not even honest with yourself! ...You sicken me..." said Simon, getting in my face.

"I sicken everyone!" I told him.

"If it's one thing I can't stand, it's liars! When you lie, you're fooling no one but yourself!"

He then dropped a key on a string in the sidewalk. "Here! We had this engraved to you in honor of saving our brother!"

I started running slower as they left me behind. Tears filled my eyes as I did.


	3. A Rescue and the Truth I'll never Have

_*= AN: in the edited version of the movie, the blood is recolored into water._

He was right. I admired him for his cleverness, but also for his honesty. I have this thing where I envy even the ones I like.

Honest: A thing I wish I were. I've sucked up to so many people. I've whittled away my chances of knowing who I will ever be.  
Alvin could only laugh at what he just saw "Ohohoho. I saw the look in his eyes last night. He hates you!"  
Hopefully, I will grow more competent and capable to the point where I won't have to stretch the truth, but it's only a wish right now.  
"Anyways, forget 'em." Alvin then said to me "Don't even talk to them. They're jerks."  
"I doubt it." I said, while I thought, What's his deal?  
"How could you say that about your own brothers? How are you getting amusement out of this?"  
"Well, everyone knows brothers and sisters are jerkwads. I think you should know that from personal experience as well."  
I couldn't help but agree with him.  
I then walked down a hall into a room and laid on my back to the floor with my legs up against a wall. Nobody was around, so I seemed to be free to walk into this room. If someone were to arrive, I would leave if they wanted me to. Sometimes, I get very disagreeable. And me, the weakest one has to suffer from the curse. Why must I suffer this flood of endless tears and anger? The curse consumes me. I noticed a dark red drop emerging from the wall.  
"Huh?" I was puzzled "Blood?"

More globs started to ooze. "Ack! No, no no! Stop!" I panicked and desperately yelled to the walls. I rolled out of my position and stood up and flailed my arms. "Stop bleeding this instant!"

The blood oozed even more and reached the floor. I attempted to step back from the blood, as one would step back from ocean waves, but more kept surfacing

"Augh!"

It soon started filling up the whole room and so I tried to swim through it. I surfaced from the thick red flood.  
"Ew..." I said. I then heard Theodore outside the door asking "What's going on in there?" I warned him not to open the door, but he must have misheard what I said or didn't listen, as he opened it anyway. He gave a shriek of terror upon the red gush that was about to flood his wake. "No!" I shouted.  
The blood rushed out from the room and into the hall. Theodore got splashed with it and is seen shivering when he is dripping with it. "Ooh..." I said, embarrassedly.

I suddenly felt fatigued, and laid down, despite the room being covered in blood, that was now just trickling. I soon just conked out.

I awoke and a strange dim light was shining in the room, and I had no idea where I was. I looked down to see I was wearing a nurse's uniform. Just then, Laura bursted in. "Like, Martha! Hurry! There's a new patient that needs our attention!"

I walked over to the cots where the patients rested, and saw a familiar pair of paws before getting closer and realizing who it was. I quietly gasped once I saw who it was.  
"He, like, suffered from an electric shock." Laura informed me.

I walked in further. I started thinking This is all my fault. If I didn't flake out, maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt.  
I approached the chipmunk as he awakened. "Uh..." he moaned weakly.

"I'm sorry," I began to apologize. "It's no biggie...it wasn't your fault..." Alvin tried to assure me. If he only knew. I thought. But I thought it would be best not to say it.  
"Ugh...I'm not feeling so hot..." he said as he turned pale. "It's ok..." I told him.

I held on to his hand. He didn't grip on to it, but I didn't mind, and patted and rubbed it with my finger to comfort him.

The scene faded and the next day, I ran around a track wearing a PE uniform. I slowed down and heard a small sound like the coo of a dove. I look down to see that it's a flower with a human like upper-body. This must be a dream, I thought, but I don't remember waking up this morning.

"You're going to have to let go sometime," it said.

"Huh?" I said.

"If you never let go," said the flower "you'll never have a chance to be happy, if you're not happy you won't have fun. If you don't have fun, you'll be stuck forever. If you're stuck forever, you'll never let go. It's a cycle."

I look away for a second, wondering how this flower knew, I look back at the flower-girl and it has the appearance of an ordinary flower.


	4. A Thrashing Gives Way to What I Believe

One morning, angry voices rose in Martha's house. A young chipmunk peeks his head from under a bed.

"Why don't you just go?" A teenage boy with a deep voice shouted in a frustrated tone.

"That's it," I followed him out of my room, "you know what? I'm not the only one who thinks you're out of line! I know people!"

"You mean your stupid imaginary friends?" His tone remaining sarcastic, but still annoyed.

"Not just imaginary, and they my treatment is quite abusive," I said.

"Abuse...? _Ha_!" He scoffed.

"You'd better stop being so nasty, or I'll-" I said as I walked up to him, but he promptly punched me swiftly in the upper arm.

"That was a low thing to do!" I said, while pointing my finger at him. He only gave me another swift punch in the lip.

"You don't scare me, Martha. You're my sister!" He walked out the door to go to school.

The door slams as he leaves. I got down on my arms folded and knees with my face touching the floor, tears spilling down on it. I crawled into my bed again and continued crying. I don't see why everyone else gets away with violence, on any level of the law. A chipmunk wearing a red sweater crawls along next to me about a few minutes later.

"Yo," he says.

"Go away! You don't exist!" I tell him. Maybe he was just a figment of my imagination.

"How cute!" the chipmunk said devilishly, "She's pretending to be sane."

"I said go away, you furry, rabid brat!"

He crossed his arms with a stubborn look on his face. "Who's gonna make us? Not you that's for sure!"

"If you don't leave, I swear I'll-" I began.

"You won't hurt us. You love us and would probably even_ kill _for us!"

I was taken aback by this and was sure I looked surprised and stopped crying. I felt he was right. I was not ready to be on my own yet and still needed someone, and I was sure it was them. I kissed his cheek.

"That's a good girl..." he said.

"I really don't want to be this way to people. I really don't know why, but I am anyway. I really don't care for them, but I prefer those whom I can't distinguish from reality or my imagination. Why is it that I favor the them over my own loved ones?" I muttered to myself.

"Because those people suck." Alvin said as he suddenly came to my side.

I turned around to see him "Huh?" I said, surprised.

I seem to believe I admire them as opposed to what's truly in reality, as they've done better things, or so I percieve.

"Why should they mean anything to you?" Simon said, seemingly reading my mind "All they do is refuse to help you and bum you out."  
I somehow felt comforted by what he said.

"Yeah. That's totally true." I agreed "Why should they be important to me?"

I begin to pet Simon, who smiles, and I smile back.

My morning and afternoon were empty, with nothing particularly interesting happening.

But during the middle of the night, I lay in my bed, but had trouble getting to sleep.

I turn on my back, but something grabs me by the throat and makes me sit up.

You idiot," whispers a scratchy voice. I felt startled and confused, yet couldn't move or make a sound to voice my confusion.  
"You can't do anything right," it continues to brood.

"W-who are you?" I manage to say.

"I'm just a part of you that's manifesting from guilt," the voice said. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see the figure had yellow eyes, and purple skin in the moonlight. "You can call me Sadie."

"I don't know why I feel guilty," I said, "I took care of Alvin, the chipmunk who I left behind after he got hur-"

"Shut up," Sadie cut me off. "It's more than that. But to alleviate this guilt, you have to do what I tell you to, so listen good."

She held up a butcher knife. "You need to do some 'exterminating', if you know what I mean. Get rid of some rodents."

I had a strong feeling she was talking about the chipmunk brothers. "Just kill those three beasts, and all will be better."

She hands me the knife, handle towards me with her fingers lightly touching the blade, in a sort of eerie calmness despite her fierceness.

I walked to the cardboard box they were asleep in. I wondered why they were asleep in the box in my house, but I could hear Sadie behind me, impatiently said "I'm waiting..."

I just couldn't bare it. Seeing their sleeping faces just melted my heart and I became as weak as a spaghetti noodle being cooked. So young, innocent, so incapable of any actual evil... I just couldn't do it.

"No," I said.

"What?"

"I won't do it."

"Suit yourself," she was quick to say, she swiped the knife, but what she did next was still worth not harming them.

That morning, I walked past them when they had woken up.

"Whoa!" Alvin said.

"What happened to you!" Theodore chimed in, also noticing my shoulder, heavily wrapped in gauze that I had gotten from my home first aid kit.

"Oh, nothing," I said. It was best they didn't know.


	5. Is she Really?

Now that I am out of school, I had a celebratory party. A few gifts here and there; gift cards, a new MP3 player, and some sparkly trinkets and stationary. I thought it was maybe too much, as I still didn't feel deserving enough. It seemed, unfortunately for me, that I had caught the eyes of some former male classmates. Both from previous schools, and one who hadn't seen me for a good 8 months. I don't see the big deal. He called me today.

"Well, I guess he seems nice. I think I'll go." I said

On this day, he and I waited for a movie inside the theater in a very long line, so we had to sit down against a wall. The guy starts getting close to me in a hug and his face touched. He seemed to be smelling my hair, which made me feel uneasy. I hadn't seen him for 8 months, and we barely even talked when we were in school, and he's completely ready to invade my personal space and call me his girlfriend right off the bat. He talks to me again and clasps his hand into her limp one. He told me "hold my hand," specifically. I did, even though I didn't feel right since he had to tell me. He feels my hand in a very touchy feely way. I rolled my eyes. I can feel someone scowling, empathizing with how I feel, most likely.

The next day, the phone rings, and it's the same guy again.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hello, Martha. How are you today?" He said.

"Fine I guess."

"Well, like I said, I'm sorry you had that head cold," he said, once again trying to sound sympathetic.

"That was two weeks ago, and you already said that," I reminded him.

"Oh yeah. But I don't want you to think I don't care, because I do. Also, I was just wondering if you could go camping or go to the beach with me," he said.

Camping? Beach? What is he thinking?

"Hm... I'm sorry, but I'm trying to make a new fresh start for my life, and that means letting go of people from the old part of my life,"

"Even me?"

He's trying to trap me and gain sympathy for himself, I suspected.

"I barely knew you, and I'm not sure if this is a good idea," I admitted.

"But I care," he said, sounding insistent. Not a good sign.

"I have to go now," I told him.

"Oh, alright. I'll see you later."

"I guess," I said. I hung up and shook my head.

"Wow, that shaggy guy with the glasses was a total doorknob," said Alvin. "He think's he's quite the charmer. Does he even need to show that he's desperate? I saw him getting intimate with your hand. He says your hands are' as warm as mittens?' Who does he think he is?" He scoffs.

"Wait, how do you know what happened?" I asked him.

"Uh..." he started.

"We were kind of... watching you," said Simon.

I raised my eyebrow. "You were?"

***  
That night, I was taken back to the mansion. Martina seemed happy to see me again.

"Martha! I'm so glad you came! And just in time for the show!"

"Show?" I asked

"Yes!" she said "We're putting in a show tonight! Me, Laura, and e thought maybe you'd like to be part of it!"

"But, I didn't practice for it, how would I know what to do or say?"

"Just follow my lead, and you'll do fine," she told me.

So I did. We all danced in sequin leotards and danced and sang. The crowd went wild with hoots and hollers.

Afterwards, Martina congratulates me on a job well done. She kissed me lightly on the lips, which I found unusual, but I just dismissed it.

"I have a little something for you," She then brings me to the parlor and shows me a box. I open it and see a small hot pink dress, an apron, and a lacy headband with two pink bows on each side that went with it. It took me a second or two to realize it was a maid's uniform.

I was confused. "Do you like it?" She asked me. To my further surprise, I held the dress up to discover it had no back, including the skirt.

"You could stay here forever if you wanted, in exchange for something... After all, you can't get something for nothing."

In silent horror, I figured out what she was talking about as she got out a jewelry box, opening it to reveal a studded hot pink collar.

"In exchange for some... chores and other...favors."

In a slight panic, I hurriedly said "Oh, you make a good offer, but I can't accept it. I need to go home and live in the real world."

Martina started speaking in a slow and hushed voice, in the same manner that the clueless guys used to try and seduce me  
"Now Martha, you won't think about leaving will you? You were actually a breath of fresh air. It won't be the same without you here."

"Well, I feel like I've already overstayed my welcome and feel I should return home."

"No you don't. It's best if you stay here, after all, nobody finds you of any importance back at home."

"Well, even so, I make it my priority to find what use I will have at home."

"Stay...here!" Martina said. Slowly, but now with visible irritation and no longer hushed.

"I need to go back, it's where I belong," I told her.

"You never seemed like you belonged. You always said you didn't," was her reply.

"Then I'll make an effort to try," I answered.

Martina scowled a particularly unpleasant and menacing scowl.

"NO! You're making a huge mistake! If you go back, you'll be bored, ridiculed and abused once more! "

"But it's still my place, even if it is being mocked and ridiculed," I turn and leave, waking out of the room and away from her.

"Don't you dare leave! You'll regret it!" she screamed.

I ran fast, down the stairs, trying to look for a place to escape from. I ran through the front doors, my heart beating fast and my lungs doing hard labored breathing, but I only ended up running into a bright light.


	6. Bad Things

I had made sure I would never visit the other world again, but after the first day of my return, was a terrible night, and things were just about to get worse. I was already struggling enough, and it wasn't really helpful for anyone else, either. If things were easier, like with a quicker fix, then maybe I wouldn't be in such an awkward situation. Like maybe if I could find a good hypnotherapist to help lift me out of this situation. I tried to explain to my mother about this. Unfortunately, I could not express myself as calmly as I should.

"You know, you're just a whiny runt. That's what you are! A whiny runt!" my older sister said, butting in, frustrated and biting her lip in anger.

"It isn't my fault that you have no respect for my feelings." I told her. I didn't know what was her problem and why she felt the need to get into this.

"No, that's just nonsense you tell yourself that you pull out of your_ butt!_"

She had some nerve.

"Actually, a good, close friend of mine told me, who's dead on about you, too!

With a smug smirk, she said "Right, right. You would know. Study some psychology, then we'll talk." She then made her way to her room.

Just because she's a smart-aleck who can get in the last obnoxious phrase doesn't mean she wins anything!

"Running away's all you're good at!"  
No reply.  
"Hello? You can't expect to do this forever!"  
Still no reply from her, I tried jiggling the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

Now I had had enough of the same pattern, and wish that she would just try and make an attempt to understand, but it was clear that she wouldn't. She wins because she's the most smart-mouthed, right? Wrong. In an anger impulse, I kick the door, but by the third kick, My foot went all the way through. I was shocked that this had happened, but that should be expected with a cheaply-made door in a cheap apartment.

Now I knew I would invoke the wrath of my sister, who had a total size advantage on me. I took a cowardly sprint towards the other room.

"You know, you won't be able to get away with this for long." She started saying, taking steps forward with each sentence towards me, I struggled not to step back "Now that you're an adult in the eyes of the law, you can get arrested for pulling this crap. Try lasting in a prison, because they are _way_ worse than us!" And when she said 'way', like that, a psychotic smile was on her face with her eyes opened to the widest extent.

Now, I was determined to not let myself get hurt once more. "Stay back!" I shouted as I attempted a kick, but, boom! I was knocked to the floor.

I could see a shadow on the wall reflecting the figure of my sister on top of me and pinning her to the floor with a fist raised toward's my face.

"CHOKE ON THE BILE YOU KEEP SPEWING!" she screamed at me, pounding me in the face repeatedly. I just wish I didn't squeal so much, but I stopped after the third hit, covering my eyes with my arms, while she hammered away at the left side of my forehead.

"JUST LEAVE, YOU STUPID HIPPO!" I shouted after she had finally unmounted me. I was filled with uncontrollable rage, but I knew it wouldn't do me any good and I'd just get knocked on my can once again.

"None of those insults can hurt me..." She said as she walked out of the room "but they can hurt you!"

So, hurting me is all she's focused on? She's a stupid bully, too, I thought as she left.

I buried my face in my hands and cried and sobbed, not so much from the pain, but from rage.

My mom came in with a rag soaked in olive oil, but I had slapped her hand away. I go up to my sister yet again.

"You're just a petty bully. Doesn't matter to me," I said with slight determination. Remembering my admirers, which seemed like there were endless seas of them, I added, "I can get any guy I want, I happen to be... hot."

"You're actually pretty ugly!" She snarled.

"I look just like you! You're lucky you get this chance to bully me now, because pretty soon, I won't be able to feel anything or even care!"

She only clapped sarcastically at this.

Later, night falls and I am still awake in the middle of the night in the living room, tears still running down my face. The fluffy white clouds inside my head turned dark and the birds fluttering around it started to flying away. A thunderstorm is now taking place inside my head. I look out the window to the darkened courtyard lit with the ceiling lights of the night.

In order to combat her controlling ways, I thought, I must start looking for some way to counter to it. My sister saying "WAY worse than us" keeps playing in my head again and I think it will be stuck in there forever. I'm no leader, and can't be independent or a leader... so the only option is to find some muscular brute way worse than her to make me his property. Once she sees how much worse he can be than her and the rest of my family, their cruelty will seem like nothing. She'll be shocked at how tough I am, then she'll be so jealous that she no longer controls me and won't be able to do anything! But where to look...

I had stayed up all night. The sun has risen, but no one else is awake yet. The chipmunks have crawled out of what seemed nowhere, and hopped right over to me to say hello. Before they can tell me a thing, I tell them, "I've decided that being good isn't worth it if no one cares or even appreciates any good deed in the least."

They looked shocked, especially Theodore.

"Martha... no." Simon began.

"I think that's about right. Any normal person would get hostile even when not having it done to them. People with bad attitudes who are skillfully mean usually get ahead and get more done. Nice folks finish last!" I said, growing more determined.

"Martha, please don't." Theodore whimpered.

"I've also decided that being with a guy who's nice isn't worth it either. If they're nice to me, I'm out of there."

"I know those guys were drips," Alvin said "but you can't just decide that right off the bat."

"I've already made my choice, and there's no going back."

A dark cloud had descended over me. And I took with the fact that people who were honest with me are often mean, that the meaner someone is, the more honest they're likely to be.

I had made my decision. If nobody was going to care about how nice I could be or about me in general in my world, I would go to the other world and never come out. I had warned myself of this as a possibility, as it could possibly be dangerous, but now I was past caring, and even welcomed it.

I lay awake in my bed without a care, not worried or curious at all if I would be taken there yet again. I soon drifted to sleep. When I awoke, I found myself in the mansion again. This time, I was in the front. Sadie was standing in front of me looking smug.

"He-lloo," she said in an unpleasant phony-friendly manner. I knew it wasn't a good sign.

"W- what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh, I have every right to stand where I want, don't I?" Sadie said as dryly as a corn husk in the sun.

"The more important question is, what are you doing sitting on the ground with a bunch of rodents? That's what I thought."

"What do you want?" I asked her.

"Oh it's not about what I want, unlike your mindset."

She then took out a key on a red yarn.

I gasped. Seeing the familiar key. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," she said in an irritating, smug tone. "It's not where I got it, but who it's going to now,"  
I could tell this wouldn't go anywhere good.

"So, are you going to stay with this drip? Or will you come with me, seeing as I've got something useful. I don't think it's much of a choice," Sadie said with an unpleasant grin.

Alvin and Theodore looked devastated and then walked toward the demon girl.

"Martha..." began Theodore, walking towards me, "sorry."

The plump rodent trod along with his brother as Sadie giggled nastily.

"Here, you can live in the remainder of your delusions with this," said Sadie, as she threw some short of tiara at my feet. Upon closer inspection, I had seen the tiara read "LOSER".  
"I haven't upset you, have I?" Sadie said with another nasty giggle and teleported away in a cloud of purple smoke,with the chipmunks.

Tears welled up in my eyes right after she left. I began to cry with my hands on my face and doubled over for a while. I wondered where Simon was. If Sadie had possibly captured him before getting to the others.

A while later, I feel something poking me in the shoulder. I was sure it was Sadie again.

"Look," I said "if you've come back to rub it in some more, go ahead. I don't care anymore."  
But I lifted my face out of my hands, and saw Simon on my shoulder.

I looked at him for a second. A short moment of silence passed before I said something. He jumped off of my shoulder.

"Look," I said. "I know you might still be upset with me from when I ditched you." He started walking away, with his back facing me. "But I even if you are, I'm willing to move on, but I understand if you haven't. After all I was pretty selfish. I understand if I'm not forgiven, and don't deserve it, and I really shouldn't be expecting of-"

He put his hand up facing me, signaling me to stop speaking. He was quiet for two seconds before saying "I already know. Besides, there really is no time to waste standing around here. I also have something that needs to be found, and I won't leave until I've found it. She knocked me out when I tried to defend my brothers, and I won't let her mess with them."

I hesitated a bit until I said "So, you're not mad at me anymore? Even so, I feel like I've been so selfish, and-"

"... Avoidant, immature, inconsiderate, thoughtless...?" he said, turning his head to face me.

"And I couldn't have put it any better," I smiled.

As we headed for the mansion, the bridges seemed to be breaking apart, just stepping on it would cause it to crumble.

There were pieces of the ground floating around.

As we reached the mansion, we saw that it was elevated on risen earth, as if an earthquake had hit the place.

The mansion seemed to be shrouded in a dark cloud, which swirled above it.

We approached the double door.

"Ok..." I said hesitantly, "this is it."

"Well, what are you waiting for? It's now or never." Simon said insistently. I opened one of the doors slowly. It made a creaking sound. As I looked in, I saw it looked dark. It was no longer the cozy and bright place I took comfort in. Curtains were slashed, furniture was knocked over, the marble tile was cracked severely. Thorny vines seemed to have grown in and had taken over like a weed would do to an unattended garden.

There was a cold feeling in the air inside and distant angry screams could be heard, which sounded like Martina screaming in rage in one of the rooms upstairs.  
I've already made it this far, I thought, so there's no going back now.

We made it inside, and tried to find a way to get upstairs, avoiding the thorns and made our way through a large hallway, where the walls had large windows, that overlooked the outside scenery.

"Martina could be hiding my brothers somewhere," said Simon.

"It wasn't Martina that took them," I said, "it was Sadie, she got them to her side with that titanium key,"

"Great," he said frustrated "Isn't that just her to stoop to such a low move? And leaving Theodore alone with Alvin is risky enough, given how vulnerable he is. But I can't blame them for going for that key."

"And I'm not letting Sadie get the best of me for keeps," I said.

We passed by more things damaged by the thorns, the remnants of a library seemed to be entangled with them, as well as more broken stairs.

A few more steps and we were greeted by a familiar loathsome voice.

"It's you again! Don't you know when to quit?"

"We've come to take back what's ours," Simon told her.

"You mean this?" She said, twirling the key around on the string, "Sorry, finders keepers."

"You better give it up, and my brothers, if you know what's good for you," the chipmunk spoke again.

"Oh, very frightening," Sadie said, still unphazed. "You and your friend can just turn back now. Plus, I don't expect her to go after goals that don't involve self-gratification."

"And what about you?!" I said, having enough. "Isn't that key just for yours? I'll admit, I was selfish, I was thoughtless and didn't see how I was affecting things, or even able to see the big picture, but I'm here to save my friends. After all, it's my fault they're in this mess... and I'm sorry..."

Sadie seemed to stay silent, but then spoke up again "Not only selfish, but weak too. Well, if you want your only friends in the world to be rodents, it's your choice." She then shot a wave of energy from her hand and blasted Simon with it, which trapped him in a purple energy sphere, and stuck him to the ceiling. He pounded from the inside, but it was no use.

Now she was going to get it! Seeing her smug, psychotic smirk after knowing what she had done really got me burnt up.

I leapt at her and she came at me with her gigantic scythe.

She swung low, but I jumped, dodging it. She swung high, but I ducked.

I tried aiming a kick at her but she slid out of the way.

She tried whacking me in the face and I ducked and tried to trip her.

She was really putting up a fight, but I knew I shouldn't let her win. Not after what I had been through. There was no going back now.  
After I had gotten her, she tried to bring me down with her using her scythe, which grazed my shoulder a bit, giving me a scratch. I grabbed her and attempted to throw her backward. She attempted to throw her scythe at me, but I just barely rolled out of the way to avoid it, dropping her in the process.

"Give up yet?" she asked, as she got up and saw me laying on the floor. I had to think of something quick. I spotted her scythe and reached out and grabbed it.

"I'm just getting started..." I said, and tossed her scythe at her. She looked on in fear like a deer in the headlights as the scythe's blade touched her, but then her face changed for a second... it looked familiar. It had peachy skin, and blonde hair in pigtails.

"Huh?" I said.

She sat there wearily for a moment, her face flashing from the purple demonic one to the blonde-haired one. I can see now that her face was that of... Laura. The woman that welcomed me to the mansion.

"Ok..." she said, seeming to be speaking in two voices. She then coughed and said, "Ok... you win..." she finally spoke in Laura's voice.


	7. The Circle of Death

As I saw Sadie's face to have turned into Laura's, I was confused, filled with questions to ask.

"What's going on?" I asked. I could hear Simon fall from his place on the ceiling in the bubble, that popped once Sadie's face completely transformed. I ran over to him to catch him before he could hit the ground.

"It's me, Laura, " Laura said, still with Sadie's body as I walked towards her carrying Simon. It was strange hearing her talk in a less chipper tone without her valley girl accent.

"Is this some kind of mind trick?" I asked.

"No..." she said, "in fact, I was once a captive of Martina's, and she attempted to keep me here forever... in exchange for some favors and chores. I had to escape and find a way to stop her any way I could. So I assumed this form using things the other guests brought in, and what was available at the parties. Of course I couldn't let Martina know, so I kept up appearances. I kept pretending to be a brainless young girl until I could find any space to escape and prevent her from capturing any more kids. Martina also built an alliance with some other chipmunks, but they weren't as nice as the ones you have. So I figured they would infiltrate you just like a bedbug when it latches on to someone's belongings to infest their home. I tried to help you that night, suspecting that the chipmunks in your house weren't the ones you knew."

She kept kneeling wearily from her injuries. I stood by patiently and extended my arm to her. "Don't worry about me," she said, "just do what you have to do... please put a a stop to Martina's plans. But be careful... she's very tricky."

I made my way with the chipmunks, all the way to the top floor to find Martina's room. We couldn't see her in the rooms anywhere, and the rooms didn't seem to have any structure... as if they had been hollowed out. I stared for a second... feeling eerie, when a loud crash was heard and shook the room as if something had crashed into the mansion.

"What the-?!"

The already cracked tile cracked more underneath our feet, and a large opening formed, with its gaping darkness threatening to swallow us if we fell into it. It cracked more and more, with pieces of the floor falling rapidly into it, leaving less ground for us to stand on, there was no way to jump it, as it separated us too far from each other and the entrance door. We tried to keep our balance but it was no use, we wobbled over and into the pit.

As we shrieked and fell through the hole, we finally hit some dirt and rubble not too far below us. It was too dark to see in there, but my eyes adjusted to the darkness after a few moments to see a speck of light. "That could be the exit," I said.

"We're home free!" Alvin cried.

We ran to the light at the end. But as we were sure as we found an exit from the mansion, we found we had ran into another room; one I hadn't seen before. It looked like a _dohyō_, the rings where sumo wrestlers fight in, with the center having a red X painted on it. "Alright, Martina!" I called out, "Give it up! The game is over!" Nobody called back. A few more seconds passed before we heard a strange sound. Like something scraping far away.

"It sounds like a mechanical device," Simon said, "one that seems to be powered by perpetual motion with traction..." The sound kept getting louder as something got closer. It was a chipmunk in a walker machine, who looked like Alvin, but it wasn't Alvin at all!

_"Out of my way, losers!"_ the chipmunk shouted.

It was an Alvin impersonator! He must have been saying all those bad things! Not Alvin.

"Ack!" Simon cried, "he stole the walker I was working on!"

"Time for you to fry!" the fake Alvin said. He aimed a laser at us, and we ran out of the way. He kept chasing us with his robotic legs as we kept running. Even splitting up didn't do no good as he could pivot the part he was seated in and fired multiple lasers. We hit the deck as he did this.

"He's got to have a weak spot," said Alvin, "Got any ideas, Simon? You built it."

"Hm.." Simon said, "even if it's a prototype, I never built any spots of specific strength, but I do know a way I could stop it..." he scattered and made a wide turn away from the ring and grabbed a river rock. "If I could just hit the right spot," he said, trying carefully to aim.

"Hurry up!" Alvin shouted, as he ran toward Simon. He finally got near him and grabbed the rock from him.

"Hey!" Simon shouted. Alvin firmly chucked the rock in between the space where the main part connected to the legs, which jammed in between it, making it more difficult to move.

"What the?" The Not-Alvin said as the machine began to malfunction, "why won't this damn thing... gah!" The machine started to short out and break down, collapsing right where it stood, with smoke coming from it.

We all went to confront him, and I especially wanted to for messing with my mind and feelings like the way he did. As he sat in the seat, he coughed a bit. "You may have won the battle, but the war's not over yet. I'll be back for your heads! You haven't seen the last of me!" A hook came down and pulled him up and out of the craft. "We'll try to find that rat!" Alvin said and ran and scurried up to the roof of the patio.

"I'm glad that's over with," I said, "for now."

"True," said Simon. "And I probably should get going back to my home," I told them, "and I should stay there before causing you any more trouble." Alvin slid down from the banister. "Trouble?" he said, "I don't think you've been trouble for us! In fact, we're used to it." He got down to the floor, "well, no sign of that jerk-face imposter," he said as he walked towards us, "but we'll keep an eye out and if we see him," he gestured and punched with his clenched fists. I smiled. "Well, it's time for me to get going," I told them. "I'll miss you guys. But I need to get used to living in the world I belong in, since it's my true home."

"We'll miss you too, Martha," Theodore said, before hopping over to me, and I hung my hand down at him, and he hugged it.

"Well, before you go anywhere," Simon said, "we'll need to gather some things to be able to power our way to get home, if you could help us."

"Sure," I gladly said.


End file.
